WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/852 
20 June 2008 
 
 (08-2932) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
 
MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE ON SANITARY 
AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES 
24 AND 25 JUNE 2008 
 
Statement by Paraguay
 
 
  The following communication, received on 12 June 2008, is being circulated at the request of 
the delegation of Paraguay
. 
 
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I. ACTIVITIES OF MEMBERS 
A. BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY – COUNTRY STATUS  
1. Since 1996, Paraguay's National Animal Quality  and Health Service (SENACSA) has been 
carrying out epidemiological surveillance ac tivities under the National Bovine Spongiform 
Encephalopathy (BSE) Prevention Programme.  This pr ogramme strictly complies with the guidelines 
established by specific international bodies dealing with animal health, wh ich chiefly encompass 
active epidemiological surveillance, laboratory analysis, information systems and training. 
2. The programme initially enabled Paraguay to be classified as a Geographical Risk 1 Country 
(by the Scientific Committee of the European Un ion), meaning that the probability of the disease 
being present in domestic livestock is minimal. 
3. It is important to note that at the 72nd General Session of the OIE held in May this year, 
Paraguay was classified as a country "with a negligib le BSE risk in accordance with Chapter 2.3.13. 
of the Terrestrial Code", a status that it shares with only nine countries worldwide. 
B. FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE  
4. Paraguay's health status with regard to foot-and-mouth disease is satisfactory.  In accordance 
with the recommendations of the Scientific Commi ssion for Animal Diseases and the International 
Committee of the OIE, Paraguay continues to be certified as a "country with a foot-and-mouth disease free zone with vaccination". 
5. The non-certified area of the country is a "high su rveillance zone" that includes a strip of land 
approximately 15 kilometres wide on either side of the border with neighbouring countries, thus 
affecting specific areas of Argentina, Brazil, Boliv ia and Paraguay.  Joint activities are being carried 
out in these areas with a view to reducing the risk of the foot-and-mouth virus entering and spreading 
into other areas. G/SPS/GEN/852 
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  II. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND COOPERATION 
A. R
EGIONAL SEMINAR ON SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES  
6. Paraguay hosted the Regional Seminar on th e WTO Agreement on the Application of 
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures for the Sout hern Cone Countries, which took place from 22 to 
24 April 2008.  This seminar was organized by the WTO in conjunction with the Inter-American 
Development Bank/Institute for the Integration of  Latin America and the Caribbean (IADB/INTAL) 
and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on  Agriculture (IICA).  The seminar was attended by 
49 experts from five countries – Argentina, Bolivia , Brazil, Chile, Uruguay – in addition to Paraguay 
and was based on the SPS Agreement and its importa nce in international trade and on harmonization 
stemming from the three reference bodies:  the Worl d Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the 
International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and the Codex Alimentarius.  The seminar was also 
attended by experts from the WTO, IADB, IICA, the Standing Veterinary Committee of the South 
(SVC), the Southern Cone Plant Protection Co mmittee (COSAVE), and th e Food and Agriculture 
Organization (FAO). 
B. WORKSHOP ON GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES  
7. The Government of Paraguay, through the Na tional Plant and Seed Quality and Health 
Service (SENAVE) and the Investment and Export Network (REDIEX), organized a course entitled 
"Implementers of Good Agricultural Practices".  Its objective was to train highly specialized 
professionals and create a critical mass trained to  provide advice on the implementation of good 
agricultural practices in the various regions of th e country, in accordance with current requirements 
for the domestic and international trade in food pr oducts.  The course was given by instructors from 
Argentina's National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA). 
C. COOPERATION WITH AGCI  – SAG  – IICA 
8. SENAVE and SENACSA, the IICA, the Ch ilean Agency for International 
Cooperation (AGCI) and the Chilean Agricultural a nd Livestock Service (SAG) have engaged in 
horizontal cooperation, thus allowing experts fro m both SENAVE and SENACSA to receive training 
and share experiences in sanitary, phytosanitary and seed-related matters. 
D. EUROPEAN UNION – MERCOSUR  SPS  PROJECT  
9. The first results of the activity entitled "Str engthening MERCOSUR institutions relating to 
the SPS negotiations" were implemented within the fra mework of this project;  a study tour to the 
European Union was organized for MERCOSUR offi cials, during which training was provided in 
carrying out audits and in negotiating skills. 
10. The topics were centred on inspection-related i ssues with a view to the implementation of 
European Union regulations on trade in products of animal and plant origin, and specifically testing 
and certification requirements for laboratories and the accreditation system. 
E. CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COURSE  
11. On 10 and 11 June, a course en titled "The Codex Alimentarius Regulatory Process and You" 
was held in Paraguay using vide oconference technology.  Twenty-four experts from the public and 
private sectors attended the course to discuss the im portance of the Codex Alimentarius for public 
health and access to international food markets, to promote understanding of the Codex regulatory 
system and to ensure closer cooperation between the Codex focal point and the National Technical 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.   The course was transmitted from Costa Rica,  G/SPS/GEN/852 
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  with the simultaneous presence of experts from Arge ntina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, who 
shared their experiences in respect of benefits to consumer health and the in ternational food trade. 
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